Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to video games and, in particular, to providing a web user interface for remote display of in-game information, receiving control inputs from auxiliary devices and providing web-based interactive editor of in-game maps, missions and other contents to facilitate creation of user-generated content, as well as for remote access of a game running on a host computer via a web browser on tablets, smartphones and other mobile devices.
Description of the Related Art
Currently, many popular video games experience interface overloads—too many windows are activated during the game, pop-up notifications appear often, chat windows open automatically, etc. All these events cause players to lose immersion into a game, and generally annoy the players. The windows provide game-related information and the players have to look at them from time to time to know what is happening in the game. Thus, switching the windows off is not a solution for dealing with the interface overload.
Typically, the players have to use hotkeys to open/close certain windows (i.e., for example, chat or tasks windows), which is inconvenient in an action game, where a fast reaction is required and, especially, inconvenient when playing with a joystick. The interface overloads are particularly critical because of lack of a desktop space. There are still many players with laptops or older PCs who have low, or at best mediocre, monitor resolution, which affects their gaming experience. Apart from that, keyboard and mouse controls are not well suited for playing realistic simulation games such as aircraft simulator or car racing. These problems have become especially critical in cross-platform games that support a mission editor or other built-in tools for user-generated content. A mission editor normally requires a lot of inputs from user, such as positioning buildings on a map, choosing day/time and weather, setting specific parameters (victory conditions, session length, level limitations and so on. Such an editor further increases the interface overload, especially for console platforms where a user's input capabilities are limited by the console's gamepad. This, therefore, requires a special interface solution.
The above-described problems are present in almost any action or simulation game, but often are not given much consideration by the game developers. In some instances these issues can be partially solved by a special user interface (UI) design. However, none of the existing solutions provide for a desired gaming experience.
Accordingly, a solution which provides players with real-time information on any device capable of running a web browser is desired. It is also desired to be able to play a game on a desktop device without seeing any extra windows, while the additional interface windows can be shown on auxiliary mobile device(s), such as smartphones, tables, etc.